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' W. WENTWORTH & J. J. COLBY. Washing-Machine;

Nd. 225,311. Patented Mara- 9,1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WENTWORTH AND JOHN COLBY, OF HABTLAND, NEW YORK.

WASHING- SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,311, dated March 9, 1880.

Application filed October 25, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM WENT- WORTH, of Hartland, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, and JOHN J COLBY, of same place, have made certain Improvements in Washing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pounder washing machines; and it consists in the combination of an inclined removable screen with a beater and with the body of the tub and a sliding cover working in horizontal cleats, by means of which combination the screen is held securely in place while the beater and clothes are brought in contact therewith.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation; Fig. 2, a detail of slot and catch to hold the handle; Fig. 3, the screen; Fig. 4, detail of hinged plug.

A represents the body or box of the machine standing on four legs, a a. The front end, A, is made slanting, and, near the bottom, is supplied with a hinged plug consisting of the plug 7), a stiff slanting rod, forming part of ahinge, c, which is fastened to the plug at an angle, and the hinged leaf to the side of the slanting front A. This prevents the plug from being mislaid, and the slanting front of the machine prevents its being in the way.

B is one-half the cover of the box A. It is hinged inside, and is formed into or has attached on the under side a wash-board, O,

and whenswung back sets at a slant, to be in the proper position for use if wanted. ,The

' other half of the cover, B, sets in two slides,

washing the clothes, allowing the garments to be pressed into the interstices only partially, and resisting both the passage of the cloth and the water by being closed, or nearly so, behind. These beveled slats tend to prevent the clothes undergoing the pounding from being forced through between them and thereby torn or frayed, while at the same time they allow them to be pressed into the groove made by the bevel, and allow almost the same action upon the garments as though they were forced through the slats. It sets at a slant also, which aids in making the resistance more gradual than if the slats were vertical, as is usual.

Any tendency of the inclined screen I to be raised by the action of the clothes and beater is overcome by the slide-cover B moving in a way provided by the cleats d.

E is the pounder, attached to the usual arms ff and side bars, 9 g, of the handle, and operated in the usual manner. The pounder E itself has a corrugated face, h, which may be merely raised slats or otherwise constructed, the object being to take hold of the clothes better and allow the escape of the water between the ridges of the slats or corrugations and the slats of the screen D.

The back end of the box, A, has a slot, k,

cut in it for the lever-handle g of the pounder I to set in, and at one side of the slot is pivoted a self-acting catch, G, which closes on the side bar, g, of the handle, holding it in place. The catch G iscut beveled at the top, with the broadest bevel on the side next to the slot 7c, and is so situated as that when the handle g is forced into the slot the catch will be pushed out of the way until the handle passes the hook-point G, when the lower heavy end of the catch, gravitating to a perpendicular, will swing the hook over the handle, which is thereby held securely in the slot.

This is important and useful, as the pounderhandle is apt to fly up and damage ones teeth or face. The box A also has a wringer-box, l, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1,) in which to set a wringer, and a slot, m, is out in the side of the box A, to take the overflow into the machine.

To the end A of the washer is hinged, at p, or pivoted, two braces of a frame, H, which is swung down, so that the lower ends catch in the ground or onthe floor, and prevent the In witness whereof We have hereunto signed pushing forward and constant moving of the our names in the presence of two subscribing washing-machine when in use. witnesses.

The frame swings up out of the way when 5 not in use. WILLIAM WENTWORTH.

We claim J. J. COLBY.

' The combination of the tub A, beater E, and inclined removable screen I with the cleats d Witnesses: and sliding cover B, substantially as and for JAMES BRAYLEY, IO the purpose set forth. J. J. E. KINYON. 

